The Bucs make the second of three long trips out west, hoping they will fare better than in their 40-7 loss at Arizona in Week 2. They opened as a road favorite, no common feat for Tampa Bay, and here are five things to watch for as the Bucs take on the 49ers in Santa Clara today:

1. Can Jacquizz Rodgers exploit the NFL's worst run defense in 31 years? San Francisco is giving up 174 yards per game on the ground, worst in the NFL by 27 yards and on pace to be the NFL's worst run defense since the 1985 Houston Oilers. It gave up 312 rushing yards in last week's loss to Buffalo — the most against a 49ers team since 1958, five years before coach Chip Kelly was born — and it has allowed a 100-yard rusher five weeks in a row.

Can Rodgers match or even improve on his 101 yards on 30 carries in the win two weeks ago against Carolina? Expect the Bucs to run early and often to find out.

2. Is the Chip Kelly offense really all that different? When Kelly (left) was in Philadelphia, the talk was uptempo, lots of plays — the Eagles led the NFL in offensive plays in 2014 and were second last year. But the 49ers rank 14th in plays per game. The Bucs, with all those pass-happy comeback attempts, are second and average 6.6 more.

Between the scheme and general struggles, San Francisco ranks 30th in the NFL in time of possession — 26:09 minutes — and the Bucs will try to make that more glaring with a heavy dose of their running game.

Where the 49ers won't help you: flags. They're the least penalized team in the NFL in penalties and yards, totaling 27 for 213.

3. Can Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith celebrate some personal revenge? In 2012, the Falcons were 10 yards away from the Super Bowl at the end of the NFC title game, with Smith as head coach and Koetter as offensive coordinator, facing the 49ers.

But from the 10-yard line, Matt Ryan threw incomplete twice and San Francisco won 28-24, going on to the Super Bowl and a loss to the Ravens.

"Man, to be that close to the Super Bowl and not make it," Koetter said Thursday. "Coaches always remember losses more than wins, and that's one. … It was hard to watch them play in the Super Bowl, but they did have a really good football team."

Atlanta nearly got some consolation the next year but again fell 10 yards short. The Falcons, down 3, drove to the 49ers 10 only to see Ryan throw a pass returned 89 yards for a touchdown in a 34-24 49ers win.

4. Can the Bucs defense continue without a tight end touchdown? When you last saw the Bucs, they were allowing Carolina's Greg Olsen to get wide open — again — on the way to nine catches for 181 yards. That stood out, because in the Bucs' first four games, opposing tight ends combined for 115 yards on 12 catches.

The Bucs are one of only five NFL teams not to allow a touchdown to a tight end. 49ers TE Vance McDonald has a 75-yard touchdown this year but just eight catches for 43 yards aside from that. Garrett Celek catches a ton of short passes — 20 for 135 yards — but neither is a huge threat to end the Bucs' streak.

5. Who steps up at receiver to help Mike Evans? With Vincent Jackson on injured reserve, that's six targets a game that will be divvied up among several options. That could be any of several receivers — slot receiver Adam Humphries, newly healthy Cecil Shorts, newly signed Freddie Martino — who was promoted from the practice squad — or special teams ace Russell Shepard.

Another option: TE Cameron Brate. Tight ends have had a field day on the 49ers — Greg Olsen went for 122 yards and a touchdown with Carolina, Jimmy Graham had six catches for 100 and a touchdown with Seattle, Jason Witten led the Cowboys with seven for 47 and Charles Clay led the Bills with five for 52.

You don't see a lot of second and third receivers beating the 49ers defense, but you see a lot of tight ends getting open and getting in the end zone. Toward that end, keep an eye out for Brandon Myers, who spent his first four NFL seasons in the bay area with the Raiders. In the low red zone — inside the 10 — the Bucs like their tight ends, and don't forget Luke Stocker, who returns after missing four weeks with an ankle injury.

As the Bucs search for an answer to their pass-rush needs, a dream scenario for many Tampa Bay fans is seeing N.C. State defensive end Bradley Chubb, seen by most as the top defensive lineman in the draft, fall to the Bucs at No. 7.Chubb has his pro ...

Of all the things that happened over the past week, the New York Jets trade with the Indianapolis Colts to move up three spots in the draft may wind up benefiting the Bucs the most.How?Let's look at what transpired and how it could impact the draft.T...

The Bucs continue to sign free agents at positions of need and stand to benefit at the draft from a trade in the NFL, Rick Stroud says in his latest podcast.Also, the Lightning loses a measuring-stick game to Boston, March Madness has been absolutely...

The Bucs targeted the Super Bowl champion Eagles again Saturday to improve their pass rush, this time reaching an agreement with defensive end Vinny Curry on a three-year, $27-million contract.Curry became expendable last week when he refused t...

TAMPA — More than any free agent who signed with the Bucs, place-kicker Chandler Catanzaro could have the biggest impact on the new season.Finding a kicker who won't choke in the clutch has been the hardest piece of the puzzle. Considering that...

To understand why the Bucs went so hard after Ravens free agent center Ryan Jensen, you just have to see to what extent he went to protect his quarterback last season.After Joe Flacco took a late hit from the Dolphins' Kiko Alonso in a game last year...

Chandler Catanzaro understands the pressure he faces to end a long, frustrating run of disappointing kickers changed out every year by the Bucs.This fall will be the sixth straight season Tampa Bay has a different kicker than the season before, but t...

TAMPA – Beau Allen had not met a single teammate when he walked into One Buc Place to survey his new surroundings Thursday and hold an introductory news conference. But it was immediately clear, unlike recent free agents, the Eagles defensive t...

TAMPA — Free agent defensive tackle Beau Allen is not a guy who will have a negative impact in the Bucs locker room. On the contrary, the Philadelphia Eagles credited their closeness as a team for helping them win Super Bowl LII over the Patrio...